Centurions of Indian Premier League

22 Apr 2013-Shane Watson (RR) 101off 61 balls- 6*4, 6*6s v CSK

Shane Watson enthralled the audience at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Chennai. It was a duel between two former champions of the IPL. Watson opened the innings for Rajasthan Royals against a formidable CSK side and slammed a 101 run knock, decorated with six boundaries and six 6’s with a whopping strike rate of 165.57. Watson set the stage for his teammates to follow, and they did in fine style to put up a mammoth target in front of the hosts.

Watson scored a memorable century which will stay in fond memories of every spectator. He tore apart the Chennai bowling attack as the bowlers went for runs around the park. It was the perfect concoction for a complete entertainer.

Delhi Daredevils committed a blunder by resting Morne Morkel in a very crucial match. Murali Vijay made the most of this decision as he fired from the word go! He had a bad season and he rose to the occasion in the big match and made his team management proud with his second IPL ton. He became the first Indian ever to have two IPL tons by his name.

He was run-out off the last ball of the innings followed by a standing ovation by the Chepauk crowd and his team-mates. -

17 May 2012- Chris Gayle (RCB) 128* off 62 balls, 7*4s, 13*6s vs DD

Having secured a berth for the playoffs, Delhi Daredevils rested regular skipper Virender Sehwag and Morne Morkel. It was a must-win game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Jamaican chose the perfect occasion to score his first ton of this season.

Chris Gayle and Kohli added an unbeaten 204 run stand for the second wicket as they posted a mammoth total of 215 runs. Chris Gayle began the innings by playing a maiden from Umesh Yadav, and had scored just one run from the first nine deliveries he faced. But like he has done on numerous occasions in IPL 2012, Gayle accelerated within no time and he literally made a mockery of the Morkel-less Delhi attack. From 1 off 9, Gayle went on to score his third IPL ton from just 53 balls and scored 28 runs from the next 9 balls.

by Suyash Srivastava -

12 May 2012- Rohit Sharma (MI) 109* off 60 balls, 12*4s, 5*6s vs KKR

Extremely talented Rohit Sharma once again proved why he is such a fantastic player in shorter format of the game. After Mumbai Indians lost Tendulkar early in the innings, Sharma joined Herschelle Gibbs to stabilize the innings. On a slow track where a batsman of Gibbs’s stature was struggling to score runs, Sharma smashed Kolkata bowlers all across the ground and he hit boundaries and sixes at will. He along with Hershelle Gibbs added 167 runs for the second wicket as Mumbai managed to reach a huge total of 182. -

10 May 2012- Warner (DD) 109* off 54 balls, 10*4s 7*6s vs DC

Yes it was true. Dave Warner could not be a part of the Daredevils from the first match as he was playing a Test match series against the West Indies. For all those who wondered if he would be able to mould himself into the shorter version, this match had the answer.

Dehi skipper Sehwag had scored five consecutive half-centuries before this one and Deccan Chargers got rid of the big fish off the second ball of the innings. But little did they know that it was the only moment they could enjoy in the match. Naman Ojha was promoted up the order and Warner along with him shared an unbeaten 189-run stand for the second wicket and a stiff chase of 187 runs looked like a cakewalk as Delhi surpassed the total in just 16.4 overs.

It was Warner’s second ton in IPL and he became the third player after Gilchrist and Gayle to do so in the cash rich tourney. -

19 Apr 2012- Pietersen (DD) 103*off 64 balls, 6*4s, 9*6s vs DC

He has been pretty consistent for his national team for quite some time and Kevin Pietersen continued his good show in the Indian Premier League as well. The formidable Daredevils batting line-up was yet to be tested and even though wickets fell at the other end, Pietersen continued to shimmy down the track and play his natural game. The right-hander, who is so delightful to watch, single-handedly won the game for Delhi who for the first time were under pressure in IPL 2012. -

15 Apr 2012- Rahane (RR) 103 off 60 balls, 12*4s, 5*6s vs RCB

On a previous occasion, the right-handed missed his maiden IPL ton by 2 runs. This time he made sure that he went on to get the three figure mark. Rahane who has been extremely impressive in IPL 2012, hit six boundaries in an over bowled by Sreenath Aravind, and it was also the over from where Rajasthan innings accelerated with extreme pace. Towards the end, Rahane was more comfortable clearing the boundaries. He carried the bat throughout the innings and maintained his grip over the orange cap. -

17 May 2011- Gilchrist (KXIP) 106 off 55 balls, 8*4s, 9*6s vs RCB

Gilchirst opened the innings with Paul Valthaty and once the latter was out in the fourth over, Gilly and Shaun Marsh added 206 runs for the second wicket. The skipper fell off the penultimate ball of the innings and Punjab posted a mammoth total of 232 runs. Shaun Marsh remained unbeaten on 79 from 49 and Punjab routed RCB by 111 runs. -

6 May 2011- Chris Gayle (RCB) 107 off 49 balls, 10*4s, 9*6s vs KXIP

Just two weeks ago, Gayle had scored his maiden IPL ton and he was all set for the second one. This was a much more brutal innings from the Jamaican who opened the innings and out of the 107 runs he scored, 94 were from boundaries. Gayle also picked up three crucial wickets and Punjab had no answer to his attack. -

5 May 2011- Sehwag (DD) 118 off 56 balls, 13*4s, 6*6s vs DC

Swashbuckling Sehwag went on to win the match single-handedly for the Delhi Daredevils. 48-ball ton was one of the best knocks in IPL history and Viru bombarded just at the right time for the Daredevils. His team was struggling at 25/3 at one stage and chasing 166 to win they managed to score just 25 runs in the initial five overs. It was then that Sehwag who had a cramp decided to demolish the Chargers. From 8 off 13 balls Sehwag reached to 119 off 56 within no time as the Chargers were bemused by the ‘Sultan of Multan’ -

22 Apr 2011 Chris Gayle (RCB) 102* off 55 balls, 10*4s, 7*6s vs KKR

The Jamaican had an incredible 2010 season and he joined the elite club of centurions of the Indian Premier League. Chasing 172 to win, Gayle and Dilshan added 123 runs off just 12.1 overs and Dilshan’s contribution was just 38 runs. Gayle began his innings on a slow note and like always accelerated within no time as he scored his first IPL century. -

Tendulkar went on to score his first century of Indian Premier League that came off 66 balls against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Put in to bat first Tendulkar and Davey Jacobs added 61 runs for the first wicket off which just 12 runs came off Jacobs’ bat. Tendulkar along with Ambati Rayudu (53 from 33) added 111 runs for the third wicket. Mumbai scored a total of 188 runs.

Kochi Tuskers openers had some different plans and Mahela and McCullum added 128 runs for the opening stand in 13.5 over and they managed to chase down the total in 19 overs. -

13 Apr 2011- Valthaty (KXIP) 120* off 63 balls, 19*4s, 2*6s v CSK

Super Kings got off to a disastrous start as they lost S Anirudha and Raina without opening their account. But with some good scores from Vijay (74 from 43), Badrinath (66* from 56) and skipper Dhoni (43 from 20), Chennai posted a total of 188 runs.

Paul Valthaty wasn’t a big name before this match. As Punjab lost wickets at regular intervals, Paul Valthaty displayed a fantastic innings of power hitting as he single-handedly demolished the Chennai bolwing attack. He carried his bat through the innings and remained unbeaten on 120 which came at a brisk pace from 63 balls. This innings was declared as the best of 2011 season. -

4 Apr 2010 Jayawardene (KXIP) 110* off 59 balls, 14*4s, 3*6s v KKR

Chris Gayle who then played for Kolkata Knight Riders blasted 42-ball 88 and along with Manoj Tiwary (35 from 32) added 101 runs from just 44 balls. Kolkata posted a mammoth total of 200 runs on their home turf at the Eden Gardens.

Mahela Jayawardene was sent to open the innings for Kings XI Punjab. The right-handed like always played some elegant strokes and mixed them with some brutal ones as well. Mahela added 98 runs along with Kumar Sangakkara as Punjab comfortably chased the total in 18.2 overs. -

3 Apr 2010- Murali Vijay 127 off 56 balls, 8*4s, 11*6s v RR

In a run feast Chennai Super Kings scored 246 runs against Rajasthan Royals who fell short of the target by just 23 runs. Murali Vijay tore apart the opponent as he clobbered 127 runs off just 56 balls. The right-hander reached his 50 off just 30 balls and took another 16 balls to score his century!

And Vijay smashed the remaining 10 balls for 27 runs and he perished in the last over of the innings but not before he produced one of the most scintillating innings ever seen in the shorter format of the game. -

29 Mar 2010- Warner (DD) 107* off 69 balls, 9*4s, 5*6s v KKR

Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and decided to bat first. His team was languishing at one stage as the scoreboard read 38/3. From there on, little dynamite Dave Warner and Paul Collingwood took the guard as both of them added 128 runs in 98 balls. While Collingwood was dismissed in the last over after scoring 53 from 45 balls, Warner carried his bat through the innings and remained unbeaten on 107 off 69 balls. -

13 Mar 2010- Yusuf Pathan (RR) 100 off 37 balls, 9*4s, 8*6s v MI

It was the first century of Indian Premier League 2010. Batting first Mumbai Indians had posted a formidable total of Rajasthan were reeling at when Pathan walked in and even his team-mates would not have expected, what followed. Pathan began middling the ball and once he started clobbering a few out of the ground, there was no looking back. Rajasthan Royals cheered every boundary as MI were stunned to see the kind of innings he played.

He matched Afridi’s record of scoring an international ton in just 37 balls but unfortunately he perished just after his ton, as a relief for Mumbai Indians. Under pressure, it remains to be one of the finest knocks in the IPL. -

21 May 2009 Manish Pandey (RCB) 114* off 73 balls, 10*4s, 4*6s v DC

Young Manish Pandey was given the opportunity to open the innings with the legendary Jacques Kallis. In spite of getting good starts, Pandey needed one innings which could differentiate him from the rest of the budding talent. He made the most of the opportunity, as he smashed an unbeaten century and created history by becoming the first Indian to score a century in the Indian Premier League.

His innings had some elegant cover drives and effortless DLF maximums which thoroughly entertained the spectators at the Centurion. -

23 Apr 2009- AB de Villiers (DD) 105* off 54 balls 5*4s, 6*6s v CSK

The Daredevils had lost Gambhir off the first ball and Sehwag too perished in the second over. AB de Villiers then stuck three crucial partnerships, first with Dilshan -- 68 runs for the third wicket, then with Karthik-38 for the fifth wicket and with Manoj Tiwary-74 for the fifth wicket. He remained unbeaten on 105 and the Daredevils won the match by 9 runs. -

28 May 2008 Shaun Marsh 115 off 69 balls 11*4s, 7*6s v RR

Shaun Marsh who was at his best in 2008 opened the innings along with James Hopes and both of them scored 113 runs in 13.4overs. Hopes perished after scoring 51 from 32 balls after which skipper Yuvraj Singh took the charge and smashed 49 runs from just 16 balls.

Marsh was out in the last over but he had produced a great knock as Punjab reached a score of 221 runs and later won the match by 41 runs. -

14 May 2008- Jayasuriya (MI) 114* off 48 balls- 9*4s, 11*6s v CSK

A player like Jayasuriya’s caliber needs a couple of sixer to ensure a big innings. It was one of those days when he was in a rarest of moods to clobber everything. Jayasuriya completed his half century off just 25. By the end of the 13th over, their scorecard read 132/1. Mumbai required just 25 runs from 42 balls. Jayasuriya had different ideas. Mumbai won the match in the next over itself as he smashed 26 runs off the next 5 balls.

He raced to the three figure mark in just 45 balls. It was another breathtaking innings from the brutal Sri Lankan. -

27 Apr 2008 Gilchrist (DC) 109* off 47 balls 9*4s, 10*6s vs MI

Brutal Adam Gilchrist was in supreme form in 2008. The chargers had won the toss and they invited Mumbai to bat first. The top order terribly failed for Mumbai after which Abhishek Nayar (34) and Dwayne Bravo (34) gained back some respect as they took Mumbai score to 154.

Gilly made sure that it wasn’t even a contest. He smothered the Mumbai bowling attack with supreme power and he along with VVS Laxman who came in to open the innings for the Chargers successfully chased the total in just 12 overs!

Such was Gilly’s dominance that his partner at the other end managed to score just 37 runs. He rushed to his century in just 42 balls which is the second fastest century scored in IPL till date. -

24 Apr 2008 Symonds (DC) 117* off 53 balls 11*4,7*6s vs RR

Symonds, who was one of the most feared batsmen of his time is difficult to ignore in shorter format of the game. The Chargers lost top three batsmen for just 75 runs after which Symo and Rohit Sharma added 111 runs for the fourth wicket. Symonds was unbeaten on 117 as his team scored 214 runs.

The match wasn’t memorable for Symonds as he was asked to bowl the last over with 17 runs required from it. Shane Warne smashed Symonds for 4,6,6 off the last three balls to register an emphatic win for his side. -

19 Apr 2008- M Hussey (CSK) 116*off 54 balls 8*4, 9*6s v KXIP

Just a day after McCullum enthralled the spectators with his blitzkrieg ton, Mike Hussey showed why any format is incomplete without him. His innings came against Kings XI Punjab. Soon after MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first, Hussey who came at number three began from the word go and produced another phenomenal innings as Chennai went on to score a mammoth total of 240 runs.

While McCullum took 53 deliveries for his century, ‘Mr Cricket’ reached the three figure mark in just 50 balls. Hussey smashed 9 sixes and 8 boundaries in his spectacular innings. He remained unbeaten on 116 runs off just 54 balls. -

18 Apr 2008-B McCullum (KKR) 158*off 73 balls- 10*4, 13*6s v RCB

It was the first match of Indian Premier League which was played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. Amid all the speculations and drama, whether or not the T20 format would be a hit was yet to be answered and McCullum answer it in style. He opened the innings for Kolkata and began his onslaught from the word go! With 10 boundaries and 13 sixes, he provided a grand opening to the Indian Premier League.

Such was the impact of his innings that even the crowd at Bangalore went berserk as they cherished each and every boundary with full enthusiasm. Shahrukh Khan couldn’t have asked for more! It was a dream start for his team. -